STILL GOING STRONG : Star Center Gone, but Pt. Loma Nazarene Keeps Winning

Whenever a basketball team loses a two-time All-American, obvious questions arise.

Will the team be as good as it was? Will others fill the void?

At Point Loma Nazarene College, the answer has been yes.

The Crusaders are 17-7 overall and 5-1 in the Golden State Athletic Conference, where they are tied for first place with Westmont.

Going into the season, Point Loma figured to be in a transition period. The Crusaders were without center Deon Richard, the All-American senior who led them to the National Christian Collegiate Athletic Assn. championship the past two seasons.

“To tell you the truth, we didn’t know what to expect,” said Greg Lanthier, a senior point guard from Mount Carmel High School. “We had three or four guys on the bench last year who would start this year. There’s no question this year’s team could not touch last year’s, talent-wise.”

In the won-loss column, the Crusaders have barely slipped. They were 27-7 last season.

Point Loma is an NAIA school. The Crusaders play in the National Christian tournament after the regular season and NAIA playoffs.

Three of five starters returned from last season, but there was no Richard for the first time since 1982-83.

Steve Bruce, a 6-foot 6-inch off guard last season, has played center this season.

“Going from off guard to center was a drastic change,” Bruce said. “I’m not as big as the other centers. I use my quickness to adjust. I’m not as physical as most big guys.”

Bruce is averaging a team-leading 20 points and 7.3 rebounds.

However, others also have helped helped. Clayton Williams is averaging 13.7 points, Lanthier 13 and Dawyne Burton 11.

“We still play a controlled offense and stress defense,” Coach Ben Foster said. “We haven’t changed our approach that much. We just don’t have as dominant of a player doing those things. It has probably created a little more balance on the team, which we have always stressed. Now, it is more obvious.”

Lanthier compares the this season to his senior year of high school baseball.

Billy Beane, a first-round professional baseball draft pick, played for Mount Carmel in Lanthier’s junior season when the team finished fifth. The next season, Mount Carmel won the San Diego Section championship without Beane.

“It’s easy to let someone else do your job,” Lanthier said. “If Deon wasn’t playing well last year, nobody else was. It was the same with Billy Beane at Mount Carmel. When you lose a player like that, players who rode others’ coat tails decide it’s time to ride their own coat tails.”

At the beginning of the season, the Crusaders were uncertain who to look to. Bruce had averaged 11.5 points and 5.4 rebounds last season, Lanthier 5.6 points and 7.2 assists and Williams 8.4 points and 4 rebounds.

Richard had averaged 21.3 points and 8.2 rebounds.

“When Deon left, we had to pick up in all departments,” Bruce said. “He was not only a scorer but a rebounder. It’s not one person carrying the load for us anymore.”

Considering the Crusaders’ record, Foster attempted to downplay Richard’s departure. Point Loma had advanced to the NAIA District III playoffs six of eight seasons before Richard.

“Deon was such a great inside player that he created all kinds of problems for opponents and solutions for us,” Foster said. “(But) we were pretty good before he came here. We’re still pretty good after he’s gone.”